The Hope of the Kingdom

Father Isaac Jogues S.J.

Today the glory of the resurrection overshadows the memorial of eight heroic men who shed their blood for Christ in our very own land. Impelled by the love of God, St. John de Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and their companions braved death and other dangers in order to bring Christ to the native people. It was a dangerous and disheartening mission, one that looked foolish and hopeless by human standards, but these holy men were motivated and sustained by a lively and deep supernatural faith. After St. Isaac Jogues escaped from a tribe that had subjected him to excruciating tortures and irreversibly mutilated his fingers, he freely decided to return to try to assist the souls of the people he loved so dearly. 

All of these men died in their efforts to communicate the love of God, but their painful sacrifice, which might have seemed so dark and discouraging, became a ray of hope for the Church. The toil and ultimate sacrifice of these saints bore fruit in ways we will never fully realize but has surely brought innumerable graces to our land. They witness to a hope in the heavenly kingdom, one beyond the earthly appearance of success or failure. The collect for this memorial beautifully prays for the intercession of these great martyrs. May we be given a share in the great faith of our North American martyrs.

O God, who chose to manifest the blessed hope of your eternal Kingdom by the toil of Saints John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions and by the shedding of their blood, graciously grant that through their intercession the faith of Christians may be strengthened day by day. 

Canadian Martyrs 1649